Electromagnetic radiating devices, such as microwave tubes, are used in a large variety of communication, RADAR, and surveillance systems. Examples of microwave tubes include linear beam types such as traveling wave tubes (TWT) and cross-field amplifiers (XFA). Other microwave devices include the magnetron, klystron and solid state devices. The commonality for these devices is the emission of electromagnetic energy in the microwave, radio frequency (RF) or other band with wavelengths larger than the infrared region of the spectrum. Typically, microwave tubes are robust and very expensive, however since they are used in many critical systems they are routinely replaced prior to their failure to maximize system up-time. This approach increases the lifetime cost of the systems as full-life usage of the tubes is often not realized. Thus a need exists for a way of discerning microwave tube degradation so that useful microwave tubes are not replaced prematurely.
The invention is designed to employ one or a multitude of sensors designed to allow operational monitoring of any of a variety of electromagnetic radiating tubes. Monitoring is conducted to detect a degradation in performance which can be used as a factor in deciding whether tube replacement is justified. Contrary to some past approaches that focused on averaged tube outputs, the invention is designed to examine individual tube pulses.
An object of this invention is to provide a technique for testing electromagnetic radiating tubes.
A further object of this invention is to provide a technique for testing microwave radiating tubes.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a technique that tests the transmitting tube of a radar system.
Still yet another object of this invention is to provide a technique that tests the transmitting tube of a radar system by exploiting a characteristic indicative of a degrading transmitting tube.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a technique that tests the transmitting tube of a radar system by assessing acoustic emissions of the transmitting tube.
Still a another object of this invention is to provide a technique that tests the transmitting tube of a radar system by assessing current characteristics corresponding to the tube.